𝒲𝒾𝓃𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝒲ℴ𝓃𝒹ℯ𝓇𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹： 𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓌 ℴ𝒻 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℱ𝓇ℴ𝓏ℯ𝓃 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑒－𝑅𝑒𝑑 𝑇𝑦𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡： 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 20

*
"A wish (Empty), Aching (Foolish)"

**
Botanical Garden - Temperate Zone

"Oh, right, the chestnuts!" Grim yelped, widening his eyes in realization, completely missing Ace's words about Y/n's bruise. "We gotta gather those chestnuts so I can get my tart on! We'll fill 'em in on the crazy groundskeeper while we forage," he says.

**

Meanwhile, tucked away behind a veil of trees and shadows, two figures stood silent—watchful. The Leech twins. They had seen everything.

Floyd's grin was nowhere to be found. In its place, a deep scowl twisted his face, his mismatched eyes narrowed with simmering fury as he cracked his knuckles with an audible pop. "How dare he...should I squeeze that stellar sea lion?" Floyd asked with a pissed off expression.

"Patience, Floyd," Jade murmured, calm as ever, though his gaze was unnervingly sharp. "As satisfying as that visual is, it would be far more... efficient to inform Azul first."

He adjusted his gloves, voice laced with icy amusement. "After all, this little transgression will surely spark his interest. And his temper."

Floyd sneered, twitching with barely restrained violence. "Tch... but Vanitas got there first. And now he's got his claws all over Sea Angel..."

Jade's eyes glinted beneath his lashes, the corners of his smile tight. "Yes. How unfortunate."

He tilted his head. "It appears we're not the only predators circling the crown jewel of the sea."

"But she's ours, ain't she?" Floyd muttered darkly, voice low and dangerous.

"She will be," Jade replied with eerie certainty. "Eventually."

**

Ace and Deuce led the way through the winding paths of the Botanical Gardens, chatting casually while Vanitas walked beside Y/n, unnervingly quiet. Grim bounced along at her feet, tail swaying as he recounted everything.

While collecting the chestnuts, Grim began explaining what happened earlier that led up to Y/n's now healed up bruise. "...And then he peaced out!" Grim says, finishing the explanation.

"Yeah, no way was that guy the groundskeeper," Ace says, his voice having a hint of venom.

"Y'know, now that I think about it, he WAS wearin' the golden vest of that Pajama-clog dorm," Grim stated, obviously butchering the name.

"Yeah. Pajama-clog dorm," Y/n nodded, obviously forgetting the name.

Y/n's mispronunciation with a straight face caused Ace and Deuce to let out a chuckle. "Pajama...clog? You mean Savanaclaw?" Deuce asked, chuckling. "You know, I'm starting to think that there's an awful lot of delinquents here at Night Raven..."

"Mm." Vanitas's eyes never left Y/n, but they glimmered with a dangerous intensity. "What a shame, ma belle..."

"All right, that should be enough chestnuts," Ace says, putting the last chestnut into his bamboo basket. "Let's get these baskets over to Trey!"